Saw a guy using a railroad track as an anvil at a demo in Springfield

I was at the Blacksmithing Guild demo in Springfield last month and this older guy had a chunk of railroad track for his anvil. He was making bottle openers on it and honestly his work looked better than mine on my 150 pound London pattern. Got me thinking about how much we spend on fancy gear when the real skill is in the hands. Has anyone else seen creative anvil setups that actually work well?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_cameron17d ago

Whoa hold on, I gotta push back on this a bit. Railroad track anvils are fine for light work but they don't have the mass or rebound you need for real forging. I tried one for a summer and my hammer bounced back like half as much as it does on a proper anvil. That old guy might be good but he's probably been doing this so long he could make a rock work. For us regular folks, buying a real anvil saves you a ton of frustration and messed up pieces. You can't just say gear doesn't matter when the tool literally changes how your steel moves under the hammer.

grace_bailey17d ago

Did you try standing on the track to add more weight or just smash your thumb like me?

wesley_martin17d ago

Wait, half the rebound? That's insane. I've been using a chunk of railroad track for two years and never noticed it being that bad, maybe my hammer just hits harder. @the_cameron sounds like you got a dud piece or something because mine bounces back fine for knives and small tools.